The Firefly's Light
by SugarcoatedstarsM31
Summary: Itachi leaves something very important behind when he dies. This is her story. Itachi/OC


The cage was dark and damp. No place for a small girl. Her hair clung in dirty blonde clumps hiding much of her tear soaked face beneath thick locks. A fit of shaking had erupted over her body and she hadn't eaten in the past four days.

Clink clink clink

Two pairs of sandals sounded from down the hallway as she tried to cower beneath her hair. The chains pulled her arms from the side walls making her arms numb and weary. They jangled as she subconsciously tried to curl inwards, away from her captors. The little light that came from a small candle lit outside her cell, cast shadows on the stone walls. Two distorted figures, coming ever closer, getting ever bigger until...

Clink clink clank

They stopped. She couldn't help it as her breathing came in short frightened gasps. The air was thick and heavy, her eyes burned with tears. The pain from the torture before was almost too much and the scars still covered her body. The wetness on her back was reason enough to believe one of the wounds had opened up. If they planned on torturing her now, she might not survive.

"So this is the last survivor of the Ito clan." It was a new voice, she hadn't heard such a cold and calculating person in the Akatsuki.

"Yeah so I heard, just like us huh Itachi." The second voice was cruel and animalistic, his laugh bordering on insanity.

"What does Orochimaru plan on doing with her?"

"Who cares. That man may be from your village Itachi but I don't trust him. He watches you too much, like prey."The man named Itachi said nothing. Dying to see the expression she peeked through her hair. Out of the two figures, Itachi had to be the younger more human-like one. She just knew, and his face was handsome. Quite handsome in fact, with those red eyes she had never seen before and the black hair. Those eyes were so enticing, compared to her own. She hated her odd eyes, but his were something of fierce indomitable beauty.

"Hey girl what's your name!" The shark-man banged against the bars to get her attention and the surprising action made her flinch. For a moment she hesitated, not knowing what to say before finally shaking her head. The two cloaked men looked on, baffled. Did that mean "no-I-won't tell" or "I-don't remember".

"What are you mute?" The tone was condescending and she swallowed nervously trying to clear her unused throat to answer.

"I-," her voice cracked in the darkness, "I don't have one." She knew it from the pain on her cracked and bleeding lips that answering was not a logical action in her state.

"Hotaru." The shark-like man glanced down in surprise at his companion, but Itachi remained emotionless.  
She pulled her head up slightly, craning her neck to hear her new name better.

"Itachi what the hell?"

"You said she's like us Kisame. And her hair is bright like a fireflies light."  
The shark man glanced back in the cage at the dirty girl chained against the wall and curled his lips slightly.

"Are you sure your eyes work Itachi. Her hair looks black and disgusting."  
The newly named Hotaru pulled back a little in shock. A blush spread across her face and she dropped her head again. Although she knew her appearance was horribly unkept it was still embarrassing to have it voiced outloud by someone she didn't even know.

"They work fine." Itachi turned and began walking in the direction he came. Kisame turned once more to the girl before following his partner.  
Again she was alone, but this time it didn't bother her. Hotaru. She repeated the name over and over again. It was much better than "bitch" or "dirty whores child" or "demon child". Yes, much better.

* * *

He came often in the next few days. Sometimes his partner came too but mostly it was just him. Conversation was minimal and most of the time he would come in the cell and sit on the only chair in the room and sleep.  
She didn't mind. His company was enough, and even though she suspected he only came to get a solitary break from the rest of the Akatsuki, it was fine. From their few talks she learned he was around her age, only twelve, and like her a remaining piece of a once prosperous clan. Although she didn't understand his reason for joining this murderous group, Hotaru couldn't stop herself from trusting him.  
It was during one of their talks that she heard the name of his brother. Sasuke. At first she was jealous, he still had a portion of his family alive, but that emotion was soon overshadowed as he continued his story.  
The man sitting before her was the reason his clan no longer existed. He killed them. The chains clinked as she reached out to touch him, to hug him, to do something.  
He looked up in surprise and their eyes met. Correction he saw her eyes. Immediately she dropped her head and let the hair fall, but he had still seen them.

"Do you think I'm a monster?" His question scared her at first. Breaking the silence she had been positive would follow, but her answer was immediate.

"No. I've seen monsters before. Your heart is different."  
He stood up from his chair almost knocking it over as he crossed the distance between them. Hotaru held her breath, heart palpitating. Itachi bent down before her and she could feel his warmth.  
One hand reached out to grasp her chin and force her to meet his eyes. The hair slipped down her dirty brown face and she was left with no choice but let him see.

"Take a good look. I am a monster."  
His eyes had changed. The regular red pattern had morphed into something new and still she shook her head.

"I am jealous. Since I was born I've had the eyes of a demon. Yours on the other hand are beautiful." The regret burned across her face at her words. Now he knew, and now he would hate her. The demon who was jealous of his eyes. Tears pricked the corners and she tried to hold them back with dignity.

"Beautiful..." He froze and then exhaled. "You're the first."  
He let go of her chin but she didn't stop staring up, his words and actions puzzled her. No hitting, no yelling?

"Is that why you don't ever look up? Do you hate your eyes?"  
She didn't answer but he already knew it was true.

"Have you seen them yourself? If anyone's eyes are beautiful they're yours. Haha."  
Hotaru blushed and stared at his chuckling features. He hadn't laughed since she met him.

"You're the first person to make me smile since Sasuke. Thanks."  
And he left. She didn't see him for weeks after that and her examinations were left up to the snake man. They still hurt but suddenly she was able to bear them. At one point, while he took a sample of her blood, she could have sworn Itachi passed by the room. It was just a shadow, so she couldn't be sure, but she turned in her seat anyway.

"Go take a shower or something." Orochimaru's voice snapped her back to the medical room. "You're getting dirty."  
Hotaru had no choice but to nod.

"I have to take good care of you before we leave."  
Again she nodded, not really listening as her eyes shot to the door still searching.

* * *

The warm water felt nice and the soap washed wonderful amounts of dirt and grime from her body. It had been so long since she had been this clean.  
When she left the shower a simple pair of pants and a long sleeve were waiting for her. The snake lord had been particularly nice this week and it unnerved her but realieved her at the same time. His attention had been shifted elsewhere and he had actually forgotten to test her eyes yesterday as well.

Back in the cell she silently let him hook her up to the chains and left. Lazily just shutting the door instead of locking it for once. This made her think for a moment. Itachi had always used a key to get in, and since the only key was with the snake lord she supposed he must ask the older man for it every time he came. Either The Lord liked Itachi as Hoshigaki-san had said and was watching him or she was over thinking.

Oh well, not like she could do anything in her current state. At least her hair was its normal blonde again, and a small part of her wanted to see the look on that sharkmans face if he saw the real color. Black and disgusting her ass.

"This is not her." She jumped up in surprise, her eyes snapping open as she realized she had fallen asleep briefly.

"Yes it is." Itachi reasoned with Kisame as her head stayed down in the shadows. They were inside the cell, both of them. Itachi sat on his stool and Kisame stood before her with his sword in hand.

"Why is she here? What was so great about the Ito clan anyway?" Kisame seemed to direct his question at her and Hotaru bit her lip wondering what to say. She was saved from answering but her ironic savior was not at all desired.

"The Ito clan were proficient in Yin-Yang Releases." Orochimaru stepped into the cell with a smile on his face.

"This girl possesses the Kekki genki of her clan where, through the chackra patterns of her eyes, she can see the amount of Yin and Yang inside each person. With enough training this of course could lead to the manipulation of ones internal balance which in turn effects ones ability to perform jutsu even permanently. Quite a monster no?"  
Hotaru cringed slightly. Kisame looked down at her.

"No, just pathetic." The sharkman grumbled.

"Monsters become monsters they aren't born into it. She isn't a monster" Itachi's voice was colder than ice and nobody said anything for a moment. The snake lord broke the silence.

"Anyway, I have to talk to you Itachi. Privately."  
Hotaru heard the door open and close and suddenly she was left with Kisame.

"Orochimaru wants Itachi." Her mouth had started moving and she could stop partway. "He might need help."

"If you're urging me to save him then give up now. I don't help comrades. Plus that Uchiha is stronger than me."  
And then he left as Hotaru anxiously worried about the next time she saw Itachi if he would really be the same.

* * *

There was no noise before his entrance and she didn't realize he was there until suddenly her chains were being unlocked and her arms had fallen by her side numb.

"You are free." His words, those three words, altogether frightening and exhilarating at the same time. What should she say? What should she do? Her gaze sought Itachi's questioning.  
There was something wrong with him and for a moment she feared that his closed eyes would open and reveal snake slits, but then the red orbs appeared and she breathed a tangible sigh of relief.

"You can go now." His voice cut her thought off and a pain of fear stamped her chest as she finally spoke.

"Where? What do you mean free to go? I have nothing to go to. I have never been outside of my village, outside of my cell for years."  
Itachi said nothing and she continued, suddenly feeling the need to tell him everything.

"I was always kept in a cell for a reason. My eyes are that of a demons. I will kill people. If that man hadn't come into my cage then my eyes wouldn't have lost control and killed everyone. Killed everyone." Her voice had gotten softer at the last two words and as if realizing the pointlessness of her rant she glanced up at him with wide eyes as if trying to take it all back. He just stared down at her face, taking in the round features, small nose and soft pink lips, but mainly the eyes. Two milky whites with the darkest obsidian for pupils surrounded by a ring of golden yellow as if looking at the other end of a telescope.

"I can't tell you how to live your life Hotaru." She shivered as her name was said, still unused to actually having one.

"So give me advice." The pleading tone in her voice was almost too much.


End file.
